As a constitutional design for combining self-rule and shared rule, federalism often crops up in negotiations designed to rebuild or reconcile societies torn or threatened by civil wars in contexts as diverse as Bosnia-Herzegovina and Ukraine in Europe, Myanmar and the Philippines in Asia, Iraq and Syria in the Middle East, and South Sudan and Somalia in Africa. But are federal arrangements and related territorial autonomy mechanisms prudent and sustainable paths to peace in ethno-politically troubled countries? This course explores the lively scholarly and policy debates surrounding this question. Topics include: theoretical perspectives on federalism, institutional options for designing federalism, conditions associated with federal successes and failures, potential alternatives to federalism in deeply divided societies, and illustrative country case studies.